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Porn is the New Punk – (written by Danny Wylde)

Note: A random tweet alerted me to this story. It is written by porn performer Danny Wylde for www.smittenkittenonline.com. I have known Danny for several years, even directed him in a few scenes. Occasionally, I read his blog and am always impressed. Whilst he comes across as a quiet individual in person, Danny is anything but quiet in his writing. His words are cutting, truthful and well researched. He weilds them with an honest and heartfelt passion dished out with a don’t-fuck-with-me fashion. Danny’s blogs are interesting and humourous as well, creating amazing combination in a world where few people, let alone porn performers, have the talent, the initiative or take the time to have opinions, let alone write them down.

Praise for Danny aside for a moment, I get hundreds of questions daily; from Twitter, Facebook, email, calls to my Sirius radio show, etc. from people wanting to get into the business, asking questions about the business, people expressing their enjoyment of my work. People asking about recent events such as how HIV scares and tube sites affect our industry, and often, individuals who believe – honestly believe – that porn performers do well enough financially to live in mansions and own Lamborghinis. The misconceptions people have about porn are astounding.

Whether you are a fan of porn or just have a passing interest, I implore everyone to take the time to read Danny’s article on the current state of the porn industry.

In an effort to get you sucked into Danny’s article I have included the first few paragraphs and provided the link for the remainder of the story, which can be found in it’s entirety on www.smittenkittenonline.com.

Old, accessible, and barely relevant; or fierce, bold, and inherently activist. Could it be both?

Like the breed of aging musicians who used to be cutting edge, the giants of pornography are living off the past.

First, the stuff was dangerous – illegal even. Before the 1987 case of California vs Freeman, porn was in the same lawless league as prostitution. Then the California Supreme Court decided it fell under the First Amendment right to free speech. So porn became legitimate, and then it became profitable.

Now it’s everywhere. The kids who grew up with digital music and video games now watch porn. So do their parents, teachers, politicians, and religious leaders. It makes headlines when someone gets caught, but the rest of the time it streams unmentioned through tube sites, torrents, and the occasional paid web service.

People must still buy the stuff because I keep getting paid to perform in it. But the amount on my check keeps dwindling. And it’s not too hard to read the panic on my friends’ faces when their work all but dries up.

Porn’s a dying monster. It’s lost the financial weight it once had to throw around. Piracy and over-saturation have nearly burned it out. But the behemoth keeps limping along, and young men and women keep standing behind it – waiting in line to get fucked.

The problem now is that it’s barely worth it. Sure, most anyone can seek out an opportunity to shed their clothes on camera. And afterward, the paycheck may look nice. But wait a few months and there’s no guarantee for a new performer to call sex a full-time job.

On the surface, the only thing porn and punk have in common is that you can follow each with, “is dead.” The proof of punk’s demise is there’s no longer anything at stake. Sling a guitar over your shoulder and wear a Mohawk, and some Beverly Hills mom will probably think you’re cute. The difference with porn is it’s a double-edged sword. Fuck on camera and your family might disown you, you’ll be called a whore in mainstream media and victim in the annals of anti-porn feminism, you’ll forgo ever having a career with kids or in politics, and – depending on where you live – you might even be arrested.

So despite the most mundane, selfish, or superficial of motivations, I’d like to make the case that every contemporary performer who makes a conscious decision to appear in a porn film is way more “punk rock” than some guy/girl in a band…

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One comment on “Porn is the New Punk – (written by Danny Wylde)”

Just started listening to you on Sirius, noticed your husbands name is Appleton. I actually work for Appleton Rum, small world…
Didn’t know if you still were drinking, and if you would like some Appleton. If you have an address I’d love to sent it.